Control for internal-combustion engines



july 9, 1946. v. E. wHrrTY ETAI. 2305774 CONTROL FOR INTERNALCQMBUSTIONENGINES Fi1ed-March25, 1945' r mm im;

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Patented July 9, 1946 l e y Y 2,403,774 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE i Yp A 2,403,774 f f Y CONTROL Fon INTERNAL-,COMBUSTION l y ENGINES E IVictor E. .Whitmosklana and rFrank M. Wlimy, Los Angeles, Calif.

" Application March 23, 1945,7Serlal No. 584,368

(Cl. 1723-257) Y tion to the fuel charge, into the combustion cham-`Vber of an internal combustion engine along with the fuel charge, makespossible the use of higher compression pressures through the eliminationof detonation or ping and permits the use of fuel of low octane ratingin the vattainment of high emciencyequal to that of high octane. It isalso known that the eiiiciency and horse power output of a given engineare raised in direct proportion to the raise in compression pressure andthe Weight Y of the fuel charge burned, of course, within certainaccepted limits. Itis still further known that other benets result fromthe use of a correct amount of lwater or water vapor along with theregular fuel charge, such as for example, the elimination of theformation of hard carbon, production of a cleaner burning fuel mixture,and a longer lasting engine.

The prime object of the present invention is to provide in a practicalway a characteristic fuel mixture of the kind above described and anautomatic control and utilization of the same in the operation of aninternalA combustion engine.

Other yparticular Aobjects .and advantages to lbe attained willhereinafter more fully appear inthe following description.

In the accomplishment of the'purposesof the invention, there is providedan electronically con' trolled metering and mixing device 'toautomatically introduce the correct amountA of water or water Vapor intothe combustion chamber of the engine mixed withthe fuel charge.Afsuitable pump and pressure chamber is also utilized to provide anadequate supplycf Water to the devicefas needed. .There is also includedin the operatingand controlling systema reservoir ori expansion `tank,to contain the reserve supply of Water, and a suitable condenser andexhaust' muiller combination or the like for the recovery of as much aspossibleof usable water vapor from the exhaust, together with such otheradjunc'ts or parts as'rywill be later described in detail in thefollowingspeciilcation: Y

A practical butnon-limiting exempliflcation of the invention isillustrated inthe accompanying dravvingdnwhich:-V v y lFigurell is asideelevation,`more Vor less schematic-in character, illustrating a completefuel Figure 2 is a'sectional view 'showing detailsV o f 55 creating andcontrolling system; 'i

the mixing assembly; and 1 Y,

K Figure 3 is a sectional detail viewthe phoneassembly. Y i i' i 1 YReferring now to the drawing in detail, the

numeral 6 designates generally the body of an 2 Y ordinary internalcombustion engine. Thel numeral 6 indicates the usual intake manifoldwhich supplies the fuel charges to the respectivepower cylinders of theengine, Vif the same be of a multiple cylinder type, orto the solecylinder of the engine if it beof Vthe single cylinder type. 4Theregular hydrocarbon'fuel'mixture is supplied by the carburetor 'l intowhich leads the usual supply pipe 8 from a source of hydrocarbon supply(not shown). A j

`The exhaust manifold 9 for the products of combustion from the engineis connected by the n Yusual exhaust pipe l'to a muiller l l whichlatter,

' as will hereinafter be lmore fully described indetail,L constitutes apart of the condenser in ac cordance with the invention.

A metering valved Awater or-vwater vapor mixing assembly I2 is providedbetween the meeting flanged end portions of the pipesA I3 and I4connecting the carburetor to the fuel'intake manifold 6. This meteringvalved assembly, to be more fully described in detail, is controlledelectronicallyby a microphone designated generally by the referencenumeral l5. This microphone is preferably of the carbon type andYconventional in characterexcept as to having special provision forshielding it for purposes of the present invention. Itis mounted on theengine casing and projected into the water circulating chamberzrof thecylinder head'or` else some part of the water jacket of the engine asmay be most convenient for its installation. Inthis way its diaphragm?prises a tubular nipple or bushing I6` having an v externally screwthreaded portion Il whereby the device may be secured removably in acorrespondingly threaded opening in the engine casing. Fitted in thebore of the member I6 is a core I8 of insulating material having a smallbore extending lengthwise` therethrough for the reception of the stemportion I9 of an elongated metallic conductor element I9'. The inner endportion of the member` iii is formed with an enlarged cavity or recess2e Vwhich communicates with the main bore of the member IG through arestricted.

throat 2l. The'insulating core i8 ts the bore in the member I6 closelyand tightly and it has a reduced innerend portion likewise fitting thethroat 2| and projecting into the cavity or recess 20. The conductor`elementulS isl provided with a disc-like Yhead orV collar 22 at itsinner end Whichris drawn-*and held in` close contact with the end of thecore kI8 by a nut 23 provided'cn the screw'th'readed outer fend portionof the stem I9 of the conductor.V The cavity or recess 20'in the memberI6 is filled with a body of powdered rlhe electrical impulse of themicrophone l is carried from the conductor i9 thereof throughy a lead 2G(which is an insulated'wire enclosed in a flexible metal mesh covering)to a special frequency amplier 2l, whichlatterjis energizedjc, from asuitable source of electrical energyin'diY cated conventionally as abattery 23 in Figure 1.

This covering prevents any stray electrical impulses from being imposedupon the lead 26 and thereby carried to the special frequency amplifier2l. The tnus avoided stray impulses may besuch as ,produced by theignition, generator and other electrical apparatus in the vicinity oftheniicrophone i5 orlead 2li. A lead 2t vfrom the battery to theampliier is controlled by'a conventional switch Th'eoutput current fromthe amplifier 2l is conducted through a lead El to anelectricalcontrolling element Si for the metering valved water distributingelement l2. This element S2' will be later describedv'more fully indetail as 4to its specific structure and its working control of theelement l2.

Water is supplied tothe metering valve distributing and mixing element.l2 through a pipe 33 frornvavpressure tank Sil, which latter issupplied through a pipe 35 from a pump 33 vof any desirableand approvedtype. This pump et may be obviously operated as an engine accessory andin vany suitable manner, but, as indicated, it is electrically operatedand receives its energy through a lead 3l" from the battery 28.

In operation, the S drawgwater `into a pipe 38 from a supply reservoir0r expansion tank Si). rIhe tank or supply reservoir 3,9 also supplieswater to a bypass @t leading from the pipe S8 to a radiatorll,whichlatter is connected by an output pipe i2 to acondensing coil t3located within the exhaust muiilercasing Il.` A return pipe ld from thecoil i3 leadsl into the upper part of the radiator fi l. Bythisprovision of connected radiator and the coil i3 locatedcwithin themuller, cooling water is circulated through the coil, t`;husx causingcondensation of the products of combustion erhaustedfrom the engine andthe water lresulting from this condensation settles into a sump l5provided at the bottoinvand near the outer end of the muiller. The tank3Q being closed and substantially sealed, ample vacuum is created in theupper` portion oi" the tank as the pump Sii draws water from the lowerportion thereof, and thus the water accumulating inthe sump le of themuiiier il is drawn out of the sump through arpipe it yand deliveredinto the upperportion of said tank 3S. i

The metering valved water distributing and mixing device will now bedescribed in detail. As shown more clearly in Figure 2, this devicecomprises a ring member Ellwhich, as shown in Figure Vl, interposed andsecuredA between the flanged end portions it( and lll' of, the fuelsupply pipes i3 and irl, respectively, supplying the fuel mixture to themanifold .6. The .Opening te of this ring member 'l is iiared upwardly`so as to have the, eiect oi a venturi as the fuel mixture fromV thecarbureter 'i flows downwardly through said opening t8.k `Surrounding,the opening t3 in the member t? is an annular passage,.- way ci@provided by YforminganV annuiargroove in theibottom portion .of .themember el, which groove is of semicircularcrosssection and closedportion of the member lll and screwed, bolted or otherwise secured inplace.` At intervals throughoutlthe extent of the annular passageway 49radial ports 5l are provided for establishing jet communication betweenthe passageway 49 and opening ll8 of the member 4l. The member 4l:provided with a connecting boss 52 for'the attachment of a meteringvalve member 53. The Valves-member llill has a nipple extension 5i ,iscrewed or otherwise supportingly fitted into the vboss F12-of themember 41. The boss 52 has an internal passageway V55 communicating withthe annulanpassageway 49 of the member 4l, and the Valve member 53 has atransverse passageway et communicating through the nipple '54 with thepassageway 55 in the member El, said passageway Fa extending to theouter side of jthe valve member t and dbeing slightly flared, as at 5l,so asutorreadilyntake in outside air. Y

An elbow coupling 58 rfrom the water supply pipe 33 leading from thetank 34, is attached to the valve member 53 and communicates with thepassageway 55 of said member 53 perpendicularly thereof.v A verticalpassageway 59 in the Valve member e3 is aligned axially with a valveseat at theinner end of the elbow coupling 58. Slidable inthe bore 59 isa valve element El having atapered end portion pressed normally intoengagementV with the lseat 6l) by a spring G2 whichl is interposed andplacedrunder compression between the valve member El and a screwthreadedl plug or cap 53 which is inserted in the outer end portiono thebore :i9V of the valve member. The threaded tting of the plug yor cap G3is for the purpose ofradjustment of the same to vary the tension of thespring 62 for the working regulation of the ,valve member 6I.

The upper portion of the Valve member surrounding the bore 59 is reducedin diameter to providea stem or shank portion about which is wound asolenoidcoil 54. This solenoid coil E4 is in circuit with and under thecontrol of the amplierv'l through the aforesaid lead 3l.

Normally, the` Valve member, .Els is in closing relation-toA the valveseat B8 inthe Yvalve member 53 `but is withdrawn from VVthe seat 69 byenergizationn `of the solenoidk coil" 611-'V through and under thecontrol of ther amplier 21. The degree ofcopeningimovement ofthe valvemember 6l is regulated and varied at will, by thefaforesaid adjustmentofthe cap or plug-63 and consequent variations in the resistance andreactive effect of the spring (i2.k Thus, as the metering valve. 5l. israised from its seat it allows a measured amount of water to pass Aintothe annular-air `passageway, 49, whence it is discharged through theradial ports 5l` and i's thus sprayed into the mixture of vaporizedhydrocarbon fuel and air coming from the carbureter-'l and while thesame is passing through the Venturi opening 48. In this connection vitis noted that the water from the elbow coupling 53 in passing into'l andthrough the passageway 55? of `the metering'valve d3k draws `intherewith a. metered amount-of air tliroughgthei air intake. 5'! and fthis air yandV water is commingled thoroughly before-lit is dischargedfrom theport openings 5I from-the annular Vpassageway 49 and.distributedl in the fuel v'rrlixture coming from the carbureter 1L i f iFrom-.the foregoingfit sievlidentthat, utilizing the conductivity ofwater, Vthe detonationv or ping occurringin .the engine cylinder orcylinders is transmitted to the microphone l5 and thence electronically..to the amplifier' 21, .which by an ,annular plate. 5i) ttedn a counterrecessed 75 latter' through itsl special frequency. character- I5, dueto its encasement in the insulating core I8 within the plug I6 and theinsertion of the vplug Within the body of water in the circulatorycooling system with only the diaphragm 25 in direct contact with thewater, an eil'ective electrical shielding of the conductor is hadwhereby I the sound of detonaton or ping in the engine cylinders isconducted through the electrically shielded lead 26 to theamplier 21rwithout interference of any other sound such as thel noise ofignitionand other causes in and about vthe engine.

By adjusting the tension fof the spring 62 which acts upon the meteringvalve element' 6I, said valve element may be regulated, at will, toadmit to the mixing device an accurately proportioned amount of watercommensurate with the requirements in theuse of-diierent grades ofgasoline from the very low Voctane type to that of high grade ethylgasoline. In this connection, also, it is noted that the amplifier 21which has special frequency characteristics as hereinabove described, isprovided with a volume control 21 indicated conventionally in Figure 1,for regulating and adapting the amplifier -for ideal operation A.withthe metering valved mixing device I2 according to the grade ofhydrocarbon fuel used and the compression ratio for which the engine isdesigned.

In the practical adaptation of the invention an engine designed for acompression ratio calling for the very best grade jof ethyl gasolineoperates smoothly with the poorest grade of low octane gasoline, itbeing only necessary toadjust the metering valved mixing device I2 andset the control 21 of the amplifier 2l. In addition to the possibilityof keeping the engine operating steadily right 'cn the verge ofdetonation and thereby obtaining maximum efficiency under all operatingconditions, there is a further advantage in the system of the presentinvention in that Waste gases and Water'vapor'of the enginev exhaust arecondensed in the exhaust mulller II, whence the Water of condensation isreturned through the lead 46 to the supply tank 39. Y

The illustration in the drawing is but one exemplication of a practicaladaptation of the invention which admits of considerable modificationwithin the spirit and scope of the appended claims. 'I'he invention,therefore, is not limited to the specific construction and arrangementshown.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. Means for electronically controlling detonation in internalcombustion engines, comprising in coordinated combination, a microphoneinserted in the Water of the coolingsystem of the engine and shieldedagainst transmission of sounds other than that conducted by the waterdirectly tothe sound transmission element of the microphone, a variablegain amplifier having a. shielded electrical conductor operatingconnection'with said microphone, a water supply and mixing deviceinterposed in the regular fuel mixture supply duct to the engine, meansunder pressure for supplying water to the water sup- 6 ply and mixingdevice, and an electrically operated metering rvalve 'controlling thesupply of water to said water supply and vmixing device, said meteringvalve being under the control of said amplifier.

2. Means for electronically controlling the detonation in internalcombustion engines, comprising the coordinated combination'of amicrophone inserted in the water of the cooling system of the engine,said microphone being shielded against transmission of sound .other thanthat transmitted directly to it through the surrounding` water, anamplifier of fixed. frequency response and having means for varying theinput sensitivity thereof, said amplifier having a Y shielded electricalimpulse .conductor connection with the said microphone, a watersupply-and mixing device comprising a ring member` interposed in theconduit supplying the regular fuel mixtureto the engine, the openingthrough said ring `member' constituting a Venturi opening, said ring-memberV havingan annular chamber surrounding the Venturi opening withradial -ports establishing Ajet communication 'between the annularpassageway of the ring member and said Venturi opening, an electricallyoperated metering valved supply of Water communicably attached to saidring member of the mixing de- Y,

vice and having an air intake whereby tol supply a measured quantity ofwater and air to theannular chamber of said ring member, saidelectrically operated metering valve device beingcontrolled by saidamplifier, a pressure tanky supplying` the water to said metering valvedevice, a pump for supplying Water to the pressure tank, a reservesupply tank from which Water is taken by the pump, and means forcondensing the exhaust gases and water vapors fromthe engineandreturning the water of condensation to said reserve supply tank.

3. In an electronically controlled system for the control of detonationin internal combustion engines, and including means for automaticallysupplying a measured quantity of water -to the regular fuel mixturesupplied to the engine, a

" solenoid actuated metering valve controlling the supply of water, saidvalve having a transverse passageway of restricted proportions andprovided with an air intake port, said passageway being intersected bythe water supplyV inlet of thel valve, a spring pressed meteringpinnormally closing the transverse passageway of the valve and preventingpassage of water and air therethrough, means for varying the effect ofspring pressure on said metering pin, a solenoid for retracting saidmetering pin against the spring pressure thereon, a variable gainamplier controlling the energization lof the solenoid of said meteringvalve, said amplier having a volume control for varying the gainthereof,- and a microphone inserted in the water of the cooling systemof the engine and having a sound-conductive connection with the amplierfor amplification-by the latter,- said microphone being shielded againstsounds other YKthan such that are transmitted directly through the Waterin the engine cooling system to the sound receiver of the microphone andthe connection between the microphone and the amplier being alsoshielded against electrical linterference to sound transmitted to themicrophone through the water in the cooling system of the engine.

` VICTOR E. WHITTY.

FRANK M. WHI'ITY.

